Hollywood Dropouts

Tyra Banks

Tyra Banks had her bags packed and ready to go to college at Loyola Marymount University but it was not meant to be. A last minute modeling opportunity in Paris changed her mind and she deferred her enrollment to the school. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photos/Chris Pizzello) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

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Hollywood Dropou...They've played teachers and doctors on the big screen, but these actors didn't make it through school themselves. Celebrate the release of Julianne Moore's new movie "The English Teacher" with a look at which big Hollywood stars dropped out of high school or college. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (Photos: Getty Images/Cinedigm)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Ben AffleckActing wasn’t always Ben Affleck’s biggest dream. The actor dropped out of the University of Vermont after just one semester, moving to Occidental College in hopes of a better fit. He eventually left school all together to pursue acting. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Tracy MorganComedian Tracy Morgan doesn't regret his decision to drop out of school. "I'm glad I dropped out of high school, man. I wouldn't be where I'm at. I would have had a net," Morgan told the New York Post. "I'm glad I didn't have anything to fall back on, man, because that made me go for my dreams that much harder." —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Dan Steinberg) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Woody AllenThe director may look like a well-read nerd, but Woody Allen is actually a college dropout. Allen was booted from New York University after a year for poor grades. He transferred to City College of New York, but was kicked out again for cheating. Luckily, he found his niche in directing. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Malin AkermanMalin Akerman attended York University in Toronto for a year before deciding that there were more interesting opportunities out there. She packed up and left for Los Angeles on a whim, eventually stumbling into stardom. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Diane Bondareff) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Kevin BaconKevin Bacon dropped out of school at the age of 17 to become an actor. Bacon believes he found an alternative method of education, telling Elle magazine that dating older women "was the closest thing I had to a college education. I will always be grateful." Hey, whatever works. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Donald Traill) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Brad PittBrad Pitt was just two credits away from a college degree from the University of Missouri when he picked up and moved to California to begin his acting career. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Evan Agostini) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Jessica BielJessica Biel started college, but decided not to finish pursuing a degree when the acting jobs started piling up. The star has expressed regret about the decision. She told Glamour magazine, "I do still have a desire, a pang in my heart, when I think about it and the fact that I didn't spend my four years with my friends." —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Evan Agostini) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Michael J. FoxFox dropped out of high school to star in a Canadian television show. He quickly found fame and moved to Hollywood, leaving his education in the dust. It wasn’t until he was in his 30s that the actor hit the books and got his GED. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Clemens Bilan) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Whoopi GoldbergWhoopi Goldberg never made it through high school due to an undiagnosed case of dyslexia that caused her many academic problems. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Patrick Seeger) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Tyra BanksTyra Banks had her bags packed and ready to go to college at Loyola Marymount University but it was not meant to be. A last minute modeling opportunity in Paris changed her mind and she deferred her enrollment to the school. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photos/Chris Pizzello) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Simon CowellSimon Cowell definitely has one of the greatest business minds of our time, helming shows like “American Idol” and "X Factor,” but the mean judge never actually got a high school degree. Cowell left school to work for RCA at the young age of 16. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Chris Pizzello) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Quentin Tarantin...Quentin Tarantino is certainly weird, but he is strong-willed as well. Tarantino left high school during his freshman year, insisting that he could learn more by following his own path. That path led him to a part-time job at a video rental store, where he met the people responsible for showing him how to make a movie. The rest is history. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Kristian Dowling) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Jessica SimpsonJessica Simpson left high school in her early teens to pursue a music career. Though she may not seem like the sharpest crayon in the pack, Simpson was smart enough to eventually get her GED, just in case Hollywood didn’t work out. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Starpix, Amanda Schwab) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Hilary SwankTwo-time Academy Award winner Hilary Swank came under fire when she took a role as a high school teacher in “Freedom Writers,” because of her own lack of a degree. Swank never finished high school, dropping out to pursue a career as an actor. Obviously, it paid off. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Matt Sayles)The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.

Al PacinoAl Pacino was talented enough to get accepted into the Competitive Acting Program at the High School of the Performing Arts in New York City, but not savvy enough to pass any of his courses. Pacino flunked out of every class except English, eventually deciding to part ways with the school and start an acting career on his own. —XFINITY Entertainment Staff (AP Photo/Matt Sayles) The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Comcast.